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UF Health Jacksonville Creates a Positive Culture

It was upon attending the 2011 Society for Arts in Healthcare conference that Tawana Brown first learned about the National Arts Program®. As a member of the UF Health Wellness Program, whose mission is to “create a positive culture of health and wellness for UF Health Jacksonville employees that encourages a work-life balance and promotes an optimal environment for patient healing and satisfaction,” she immediately recognized how the NAP would fit in perfectly.

Flash forward to five years later and it’s obvious that Tawana was right. Over the years, the UF Health Jacksonville employees and their families have fully embraced the annual opportunity to display their artwork as evidence from the continued growth in participation numbers as well as the number of pieces on display. Participants such as Jourdan Thomas (pictured) who proudly stands next to her piece entitled “Love” beaming with joy.

The exhibit, which featured more than 150 pieces, was prominently showcased in the Atrium of the hospital where it can be appreciated by both employees and visitors alike. This is turn directly helps to promote an environment where caregivers are encouraged to have a healthy work-life balance while also adding a humanizing element to the hospital experience for the patients.

To honor Tawana, who has been coordinating the show since 2012, the NAP reached out to Wellness Medical Director, Mark McIntosh, MD, and asked him to present the National Arts Program® Fifth Anniversary Award to her during their reception. The award is recognition for all the hard work Tawana has done to ensure that the program succeeds and continues to grows each year.